Those working in the health and social care sector are to benefit from a multimillion pound skills and jobs investment, it has been revealed.

Following a £151 million cash injection by the European Social Fund (ESF), industries across the south-east of England will receive a boost in helping some of the most vulnerable people in society get work or enter education over the next seven years.

As a result, the total value of the 2007-2013 ESF programme in the area now stands at £303 million.

The news was welcomed by James Plaskitt MP, minister for ESF.

He said: "Our priority is to help those who face the biggest barriers to work. Across England, over the next seven years the ESF programme will help 200,000 people into jobs and enable at least 140,000 of the most disadvantaged people [to] make positive progress toward the labour market."

In addition, the health and social care sector will receive help in boosting the skills of its workforce, in an announcement which may be of interest to those looking for work in the region and those public sector bodies aiming to make use of a regional recruitment portal to attract such candidates.

In related news, it was recently announced that Merseyside is to receive a £138 million funding package from the ESF.

More about skills portals.